Apparatus for washing clothes



April 26, 1927.

W. B. REEVES ET AL APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLOTHES Filed May '5, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 A9111 1927' w. B. REEVES ET AL APPARATUS FOR wAsrmmCLOTHES Filed May 5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Inventory q ffaofiz By m.

Attorney Ill Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.-

WIIJIJIAM B. REEVES AND MARTAIN J. POOLE, OF \VI-IITEHEAD, NORTHCAROLINA.

APPARATUS non. WASHING c'no'r'nns.

Application filed May 5,

Our present invention has to do with the washing of clothes, andcontemplates the provision of an apparatus for rendering the washing ofclothes easy, the apparatus being susceptible of quick and easyapplication and being adapted to be operated with but a minimum amountof effort and one so operated to expedite the thorough cleansing ofclothes.

To the attainment of the foregoin the invention consistsv in theimprovement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification:-

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating our novel apparatus as properlypositioned upon a tub; the tub being illustrated by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the apparatus on the tub.

Figure 1 is an enlarged section taken through the novel apparatus in theplane indicated by the line 4- 1 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is anenlarged detailsection illustrative of the means foreffecting connection of the apparatus to a t-ub.

Figure '6 is a fragmentary perspective showing in inverted position oneend of one of the attaching bars of the apparatus.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings.

The tub l which we show in dotted lines in l ligures 1 to 3 is anordinary zinc wash tub having a rim 2. The standard sizes of tubs suchas indicated are twenty-four inches and twenty-six inches, respectively,in diameter.

Among other elements our novel apparatus, in the preferred embodiment ofour invention, comprises two spaced standards, each standard being madeup of two sections designated by 3, and the sections 3 bein 1926. SerialNo. 106,888.

t'udinally slotted at 8 to receive the shanks of headed projections 9 onthe standard sections 3, and it will be noticed that each slot 8terminates at one end in an enlargement 10 so that when saidenlargements 10 are in coincidence with the heads of the projections 9,the bars 7 may be readily disconnected from the standard sections. Atits underside and adjacent to each of its ends, each bar 7 is providedwith two grooves 11, the said grooves 11 being designed to rest over therims of tubs so as to maintain the bars 7 against casual endwisemovement, and two grooves are provided adjacent to each end ofeach bar 7in order that each bar may be readily accommodated to a tub twenty-fourinches in diameter or to tub twenty-six inches in diameter. The grooves11 are dis posed in the peculiar manner best shown in Figure 6, 1. e.,approximately at acute angles to the longitudinal median line of thebars 7 so that the circular rim 2 will properly enter the seats, and itwill also be noticed that each bar 7 is provided adjacent to each of itsends with a longitudinal vertically disposed slot 12, the slot 12 beingdesigned for the longitudinal play of the shanks 13 of hooks 14,designed to engage the rim 2 of a tub irrespective of whether the saidrim is seated in the inner or the outer groove of the bar. The slots 12are shouldered at 13*, and the hook shanks 13 are provided with handleenlargements 15, and coiled springs 16 are arranged about the hookshanks and are interposed between the shoulders 13 and the handleenlargements so that the hooks 1% will be maintained in tigl'it thoughyielding engagement with the rim 2 of the tub. Manifestly when thehandles or handle enlargements 15 are forced downwardly in the upperenlarged portions of the slots 12 the hooks 14: will be disengaged fromthe rim 2 and the bars 7 and the apparatus as a whole may then be liftedout of engagen'ient with the tub.

The-standards each formed of two sections 3 are connected togetherthrough the medium of longitudinal rods 17 in parallelism, and byreference to Figure 3, it will be not-iced that the opposed edges of twoof the sections 3 are recessed as designated by for the vertical play ofone trunnion 19 of the main roller 20 of the apparatus, while theopposed edges of the sections 3 of the other standards are bored at 21,Figure 4,

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and the inner sides of the said bores 21 are recessed as designated by22 for the vertical play of the other trunnion 23 of the roller 20.Expansion springs numbered 24: and 25, respectively, are housed in thesections 3 and are interposed between the crown bar 5 of the apparatusand the roller trunnion with a view to holding the roller 20 yieldinglyto its work and in that way increasing the efficiency of the apparatus.The trunnion 19 is merged into a crank 26, Figure 1 and Fig ure 2,through the medium of which the roller 20 may be powerfully turned aboutits axis.

The main or comparatively large roller 20 of the apparatus is providedin its periphe w with lziingitudinal grooves 27. The said grooves 27 areclosed at their ends, and extend from points adjacent to though spacedfrom one end of the roller 20 to points adjacent to though spaced fromthe oppos 1te end of said roller. By virtue of this special provision,it Will be apparent that the apparatus will operate more smoothly whenthin garments are being washed or the rollers are being turned when noclothes are between the comparatively larger roller 20 and the severalcomparatively small rollers 28, Figure 4.

As will be understood from Figure 4, the sections 3 of the standards arerecessed and bored for the play of the trunnions 29 of the small rollers28 and the expansion of the spring 30 below the said trunnions 29. Theslots 30 are so disposed, and the springs in the sections 3 are solocated that the smaller rollers 28 will be permitted to assumepositions in the arc of a circle so as to conform to the circumferenceof the large roller 20.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in the practical operationof our novel apparatus, the clothes to be Washed are passed between thelarge roller 20, on the one hand, and the small rollers 28 on the other,the said rollers accommodating themselves to the clothes and actingagainst the clothes to express water and dirt from the clothes and inthat way facilitate the cleansing of the same.

The several rollers 20, and 28 of the apparatus may be and preferablyare formed of appropriate wood, and hence it will be appreciated thatthe apparatus w1th proper usage will last for an indefinite period oftime.

It will also be appreciated from the foregoing that in general theapparatus is sim ple and inexpensive in construction and is well adaptedto withstand the usage to which apparatus of corresponding character isordinarily subjected.

We have specifically described the preferred embodiment of our inventionin order to impart an exact understanding of said embodiment in all ofits details. We do not desire, however, to be understood as limitingourselves to the precise construction shown and described, our inventionbeing defined by our appended claims within the scope of whichmodifications may be made withoutdeparture from our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is

1. An apparatus for w shing clothes including, in combination, spacedstandards, clothes washing means between the standards, bars carried bythe standards, each bar having in its under side adjacent to each of itsends grooves to receive a tub rim and also having adjacent to each ofits ends longi tudinal vertically disposed slots adjacent to saidgrooves, each of said slots having at its intermediate point in itsheight a shoulder, and also having a comparatively large upper portion,hooks having shanks disposed in said slots and also having handleenlargements, and coil springs about said hooked shanks and disposedbetween the shoulders in the slots and handle enlargement on the shank.

2. An apparatus for washing cloth-es in cluding a frame structure,clothes washing means in the frame structure, a pair of bars detachablyengaged with the frame structure, a groove extending transversely acrossthe under edge at each end of each bar, and tub rim engaging means atthe ends of the bars for engaging rims disposed in the grooves.

3. A supporting structure for attachment to a washing tub comprising apair of spaced parallel bars, each bar having in its under side adjacentto each of its ends two grooves to receive a tub rim and also havingadjacent to each of its ends a longitudinal vertically disposed slotadjacent said grooves, each of said grooves having at an intern1ediatepoint at its height a shoulder and also having a comparatively largeupper portion, hooks having shanks disposed in said slots and alsohaving handle enlargements, and coil springs about said hook shanks-anddis posed between the shoulders in theslots and the handle enlargementson the shanks.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

VVILLIAM B. REEVES. MARTAIN J. POOLE.

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